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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. D. STORIE. FEED MECHANISM FOR GHAINLINK MACHINES.

Patented June 4, 1889.

N. PETERS Phuwumc n her, Waihillginn, n. 04

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. D. STORIE. I FEED MECHANISM FOR CHAIN LINK MAOHINES.

No. 404,742. Patented June 4, 1889.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

'J. 1). SVTORIE.

FEED MECHANISM FOR CHAIN LINK MACHINES.

N0.-404,742. Patented June 4, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. STORIE, OF OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

FEED MECHANISM FOR CHAIN-LINK MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,742, dated June 4,1889.

Application filed November 14, 1887. Renewed March 18, 1889. Serial No.303,821. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES DOUGLAS S'romE, of the town of Oshawa, in thecounty of 011- tario and Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Mechanism forChain-Link Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to mechanism for use in connection with thatclass of links which are used in the formation of drive-chains that isto say, those made of malleable castiron, and having a hook or knuckleat one end designed to embrace the end bar of its neighboring link.

In some parts the present improvements may be considered as furtherdevelopments of devices covered by my former patent, No. 369,620, datedSeptember 6, 1887, as they include a hopper into which the links arethrown, and an elevator for raising them to a feedtrough; but thepresent invention does not embrace mechanism for treating the links further than feeding, cleaning, and lubricating, the devices now to bedescribed and claimed being adapted for use wit-h a grinder,straightener, driver, or any other machine necessary in manufacturingdrive-chains.-

The main and most important feature of the apparatus about to bedescribed is, broadly speaking, a raking or pushing device for advancing the links alon g a way which is usually located between the pointwhere they are first received after leaving the hopper and the point ofdelivery to the machine which is to operate upon them, and the purposeof this is to properly arrange the several links and discharge ordeliver them with their heads or knuckles in a correct and uniformdirection. The invention, however, includes improvements in the hopper,elevator, troughs, ways, switch-rails, cleaning and lubricating,delivering, and driving mechanism, all of which are hereinafterparticularly described and claimed.

For a ready comprehension of the construction and operation of theinvention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, I will commence the description at the hopper andcontinue through the different devices to the point where theproperly-arfanged link is delivered to the succeeding machine forsubsequent treatment, it being understood that I do not thus limitmyself to such precise arrangement of the different devices, as many ofthem may be used in other connections.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing relativearrangement of the whole apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of same. Fig. 3 isa cross-section taken through trough on line X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is afront view of lower part of hopper shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan ofpart of Fig. 2, showingtrack and switch with raking devices removed.Fig.6 is an end view of that part of Fig. 1 which embraces the adjListing-brushes, comb, and connections of upper part of elevator. Fig. 7is an enlarged sectional detail showing upper elevator roll, comb, andchute leading to trough. Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section takenthrough trough looking toward chute. Fig. 9

is a longitn dinal'secti on a1 detail view (to scale of Fig.1) of thetrough and its rakers. Fig. 10 is an enlarged longitudinal sectionshowing track, rakers, oil-pan, delivery-spouts, &c. Fig. 10 is across-section of raker-bar, showing lubricating device for rails. Fig.11 is a plan of part of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a crosssection taken throughtracks on line Z Z, Fig. 11. Figs. 13 and 14 are cross-sections of thedouble-twist delivery-spouts, the latter being taken at theoverflow-opening. Figs. 15

and 16 are detail views of my device for cleaning knuckles of links.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the hopper, into which the rough links are thrown. The body of thisis of any suitable construction, and its mouth is preferably situated atthe level of an upper floor, while its base rests upon a lower floor, ofthe building in which the work is to be carried on. At the lowest pointthis hopper is provided with a front well or chamber A, which has slotsa at its sides and set-screws bywhich it can be set forward orbackward-that is to say, to a greater or less distance from a gate a,which controls the supply of links from the hopper proper. This chamberA has a number of vertical slots a through which the hooks or fingers Z)I) of an endless carrier B may work, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4:. The

adjustment of the well or chamber is for the purpose of regulating thedistance at which the elevator-hooks may enter to seize different sizesof links, and also to provide that the proper quantity of links may bebrought within range of the hooks at any one time, besides insuring aclearing out of the corners in the well and effecting a continuous feed.

The elevator is preferably made up of two chain bands I) b, carryingcross-slats b upon which the hooks or fingers h are set, as seen in Fig.6, and the chain bands run overtoothed or corrugated pulleys mountedupon transverse shafts]; and b, the former being set at the lower leveland the latter at the higher level of the apparatus, both journaled inproper framing. The points of the hooks or fingers h are of such shapeand size that'they will not enter the hooked portion of the links, butcatch them always between their bars. These hooks are also so shapedthat the links will hang clear of the cross-slats, as shown in Fig. 7,and are also made thin in section, so

that they may readily pass through a curved comb If, which forms theentrance to a chute or spout Z1, down which thelinks (which pass overthe comb) are fed to a trough C. The hooks or fingers are set one uponeach slat, so that they will dodge each other, and there is a separateslot in the front of the well A for each line of hooks.

The links when caught by the hooks will hang thereon in variouspositions; but in order to insure their all hanging with heads orknuckles down before they pass over the comb and are discharged into thechute Z)", I provide a brush B, the points or wires B of which projecttoward and close into the elevator, (there being one or more wires foreach line of hooks,) so as to strike the links as they travel upwardupon the elevator, and thus, aided by the overbalancing of the weighiierhead or knuckles, turn them with their heads down. The frame of thisbrush B may be in the form of a bracket fastened to the main framing, asshown by Figs. 1 and o.

The chute b is preferably covered, and has a center piece or division Z1and curved or slanting sides, so as to cause the links discharged fromthe elevator to turn upon their edges and so be delivered upon bothsides of a set or series of rakers O, which reciprocate longitudinallyin the trough O. This trough is composed of two beveled blocks a 0, adjustable vertically in the frame by means of setscrews 0 c, and of twosheet-metal wallsc c hinged to the frame at some little distance above,but slanting inward in such manner as to cause their lower ends to restagainst the beveled faces of the blocks 0, and these walls are set (bythe screws 0) at such distance apart at their lower edges as to suit thesize of links being acted upon, which latter pass along the trough thusformed while hanging by their heads, as seen in Fig. 8.

The rakers C, above alluded to, (and shown clearly in Figs. 8 and 9,)are for the iurpose of pushing the links forward in the trough as theyfall int-o it from the chute b, and their practical eifect is to adjustthe links by a succession of blows or pushes until they all assume theposition namedi. 6., with their bodies hanging below the slanting wallsof the trough and their knuckles or heads supported thereby and to feedthem in this manner into a straight way or groove D, which commences atthe end of the trough and extends in a straight line therewith forwardto a junction with the switch-rails D D presentlyto be described. (Thisstraight way may sometimes be dispensed with, the ends of theswitch-rails being then brought close up to the end of the trough.)

The rakers just alluded to are preferably of the shape shown in Fig.9viz., short bars having flattened points. These are loosely pivoted toa horizontal raker-bar (1 so as to be at an acute angle thereto, as seenin Fig. 9, and this raker-bar is arranged to reciprocate or oscillatelongitudinally by being hun to cross-bars of the frame by pivoted barsc", as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, motive power beingimparted thereto, aswill be hereinafter described.

At the entrance of the way 1), I preferably place a small in wardly-bentshield (I, which prevents all links which may be lying flat or otherwisemisplaced from entering this way, and forces them over into ahopper-mouth d of a long inclined spout or chute (1?, by which they arereturned to the well A of the hopper A. The links will by the action ofthe raker C be forced along this way in a continuousline, pressingagainst each other; but as no provision has thus far been made forturning the open sides of the knuckles or hooks all in the samedirection, as is absolutely required for their proper delivery, I hereconnect switch rails 6r tracks D Dflwhich spread apart gradually fromthe point of junction with the sides of the way l) to where theyterminate at orifices D and T), respectively, made through the framing.

(1" d represent knife-edges or thinned portions of the rails for a shortdistance immediately next to the way 1). These are to insure thecatching of the hooks of the links upon the rails at the moment they areforced out of the way I), as the level of said rails falls slightly atthis point, as seen in Figs. 10 and 12. This switch-rail device insuresthat every link will travel properly to its destination, as it will bereadilyseen that those links which happen to be turned with their hookstoward the rail D will catch thereupon, while those which may be in theopposite direction will be caught upon the knife-edge of the rail D Thelinks are raked or pushed along these rails by another set or series of.rakers E, the action of which is similar to that of the rakers Q in thetrough; butin order to clear the sand and 'ritty particles out of theinsides of the link-hooks I may place a comb \V at the end of the rails,(or elsewhere in the way ITO of the links,) over which the hooks willride and be scraped thereby, as shown by Figs. and 16; and I have alsofound it desirable to lubricate the rails D D and to accomplish this Imake the longitudinal bar E, to which these rakers are pivoted, hollowand attach thereto a small reservoir E near one end, as shown in Figs. 1and 2, from which oil may be supplied tothe hollow raker-bar, and thenby using..l1ollow pivot-pins e, having crossapertures-e therein,and.passing these through the hollow raker-bar, and by also making therakers hollow and connecting them with the hollow pins 6, I am enabledto keep up a constant lubrication of the rails by directing the oilthrough the interior of the rakers and out through narrow slits orpen-points which are in contact with the rails. This arrangement isfully illustrated in Figs. 10 and 10.

F is an oil-pan arranged underneath the switch-rails, which will catchthe drippings from these rails, and the oil thus caught serves tolubricate the end bars of the-links, which drag through same whilepassing along the track.

Thev lubrication of hook and end bar will facilitate the driving processin making up the chain.

The rakcrs E are slanted and so spaced that every two will have a linkbetween them 011 the rails, and it is also designed that duringreciprocation the backward movement of the raker-bar will draw thepoints of the rakers over the heads of the links and drop them vagainone space to the rear, thus insuring a constant progression. (The sameaction occurs with the rakers in the trough before described.)

In order to prevent the links from being thrown forward more than onespace upon the rails D D and also'to give sufficient friction to insurethe cleaning out of the knuckles by the rubbing upon the comb andlubricated rails, I prefer to place at the outside of the railsfriction-plates (Z (1, having, by preference, on their inner edgesrubber beads d (F, which impinge against thehooks of the links, as seenclearly in Figs. 5 and 11. These friction-plates are made adjustablelaterally to accommodate different sizes of links, elongated slots (Zbeing made therein to receive setscrews screwed down into the framingupon which said friction-plates are superimposed.

When a link has beenfed forward to the end of either track, or into theposit-ion shown at Y in Fig. 10, the next forward movement of the rakerswill project it forward, so that it will fall into the orifice D or D,as the case may be, and from thence it travels down a twisted spout tothe point of delivery. There being two rails and an orifice at the endof each, there must consequently be two spouts D and I), one for each,the one being twisted to the right and the other to the left, theseextending down for a sufficient distance to allow a link to be turnedcompletely around in such manner that their faces or hooks will all liein the same direction by the time they reach the end of the respectivetwists. At this lower end they join or are merged into one common spoutG, (which consequently receives links from both of the rails D D downwhich the links pass in an upright position-that is to say,with heads orknuckles upperniostand when this straight spout G is stopped at thebottom the links will stand vertically therein and one above the other,as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this figure I show a tripor stoplever G ,with two arms or fingers g 9 working in said spout and operatedfrom any suitable source, this being for the purpose of delivering justone link at a time to the machine (represented by M) which is to operateupon the links fed to it, as above described.

Should the machine M be stopped at any time, the trip-lever G will alsobe stopped, and the links will pile up in the straight spout G, and asit would not do for them to back up into the twisted spouts D D, as thiswould disarrange them for properdelivery with their hooks all turned inthe same direction, I provide an overflow opening g at the upper end ofthe spout G, through which the surplus links coming down from thetwisted spouts (after G is full) will fall into a hopper G, from whencethey are conveyed back to the main hopper A through atrough or spout gIn order to insure the rapid and proper projection' of the links as theyleave the rails and come into line with the orifices D D, and to preventthem from lodging at those points, I arrange upon the framing midwaybetween D and D suitable vertically-grooved standards 70, in which'worksa post carrying two hammer-heads or strikers K K, arranged upon saidpost in such manner that they will be immediatelyin the vertical line ofthe orifices D D, respectively; to this post It} is adjustably connecteda lever K pivoted at k to a standard of the frame, and having its endengaging with a cam Z, mounted upon the main driving-shaft L, which camis shaped so as to trip or release the lever K at the lprope'r time, andthus allow the strikers K K to fall each time a link is forced fromeither of the tracks D D and in this manner drive same rapidly down therespective spouts.

In practical operation one link will be delivered from one track, andthen a link from the other track, and so on, as this arrangementprevents two links from meeting and blocking each other at the junctionof the twists with the straight spout G.

The whole of the apparatus above described is driven from the maindriving-shaft L, this being journaled in a suitable frame L, and properfast and loose pulleys Z being provided for the belting from the usualcountershaft at one end, and a disk Z at the other end, having acrank-pin Z to which are ad- IIO justably connected rods N and P fordriving the rakers and elevator. The rod N is that which givesreciprocating motion to the bar I and rakers E, and is encircled by orengages with one end of a coiled spring a, located within a slotted boxor casing 72, attached to the side of the raker-bar E, as shown in Figs.1 and 2, this spring being strong enough to allow the rod N to pull therakers forward when working regularly without yielding; but when a linkmay jam or stick at the end of the track or mouth of either of theorifices from any cause, so that the rakers and links cannot moveforward with every revolution of the driving-shaft, this spring n willbe alternately compressed and re-expanded with the backward and forwardmotion of the rod N, thus avoiding breakage or damage to the mechanism.The rod I runs from the link 1) on the crank-pin to the forward end ofthe machine and is there connected to a lever O, fulcrumcd on the shaft1)", and carrying a pawl 0, which engages a ratchet 0, also mounted uponsaid shaft, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and (3, and thus rotating said shaftand with it the elevator B, as will be readily understood.

To drive the raker-bar C and rakers C (in the trough (1) I connect oneend of a third rod Q to the lever O and its other end to a strap orbridle q, pivoted at each side of the trough and crossing same, as seenin Fig. 3, and the cross-bar of this bridle engages with a fork qprojecting upward from the rakerbar (1 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 9.

It will be understood that all of the connections between the parts ofthe driving mechism will be made adjustable to suit different sizes oflinks, and the same will be provided in all other parts of the apparatuswhich may require such adjustment or regulation, and, furthermore, I donot confine myself to the precise details of construction andarrangement, as these maybe varied accordingto the judgment of themechanic without departing from the essential principles and features ofmy invention.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as follows:

1. The combination, with the hopper A and elevator B, having fingers orhooks thereupon, of the well or chamber A, having a slotted frontthrough which said lingers project, for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the hopperA and elevatorB, having fingers orhooks thereupon, of the well or chamber A, adjustable horizontally andhaving a slotted front, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

The combination, with the frame and an elevator having hooks or fingersfor carrying drive-chain links, of a brush adapted to adjust the linksupon said hooks, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the elevator having hooks or fingers forcarrying drive-chain links, of a comb arranged at the upper end of saidelevator and adapted to remove such links from said hooks or fingers,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the elevator B, having fingers or hooks Z) Z),of the comb I), chute b", and a trough or receptacle for the links,substantially as set forth.

(5. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with afeeding-chute, of the trough (J, constructed with adjustable beveledblocks 0 c, and adjustable sloping inner walls 0 0 substantially as andfor the purpose described.

7. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with a trackor way adapted to receive the loose links and suspend them by theirheads or knuckles, of raking or pushing devices engaging with said headsor knuckles, so as to move said loose links toward the point ofdelivery, substantially as specified.

8. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine,

the combination, with a track or way along which the loose links travelwhile suspended by their heads or knuckles, of a reciprocating barcarrying pivoted raking or pushing bars or teeth adapted to engage withthe heads of such loose links and advance the latter along said track orway, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with the trough U, of the reciprocating rakers andfor the purpose specified.

10. The combination, with the rails l) I), of the reciprocating rakersE, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with a railadapted to be embraced or straddled by the hook portions of the linksand with means for causing said links to move upon said rail, of meansfor lubricating the rail, whereby the interior of the locking knucklesor hooks may also be lubricated, substantially in the manner set forth.

12. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with thetrack or way along which the links travel, of a device for scrapin g andcleaning the insides of the hooks, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with the track upon which the links travel, of thecomb IV, for the purpose set forth.

14. The combination, 'with a rail for conveying the links, of the hollowraker-bar E, hollow perforated pivots e, and hollow rakers 1, whereby alubricant is conveyed from the raker-bar to the rail, substantially asand for purpose described.

15. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with a railfor conveying the links and rakers for moving same thereon, of thefriction-plate (i for the purpose described.

16. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with aguideway in which the links travel with their heads uppermost, of tworails divergiu g from said guideway and l, substantially adapted tocatch the links whose hooks are turned toward them, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

17. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with aguideway in which the links travel with their heads uppermost, of tworails diverging from said guideway and adapted to catch the links whosehooks are turned toward them, and right and left twisted spouts arrangedto turn two series of links and deliver them through a single spout withtheir hooks turned all in the same direction, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

18. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with adelivery spout or conductor, of an overflow device whereby surplus linkswill be thrown out and only a regulated quantity delivered at the end ofthe spout, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

19. The combination, with the double-twist spouts D D, of the singlespout G, having the overflow-openin g g, for the purpose specified.

20. In a spout or chute for delivering links, having a device forstopping its outlet end, the overflow-opening g, for the purposedescribed.

21. In combination with the spout G, having an overflow-opening, thehopper G, and return-spout 9 for the purpose described.

22. In combination with a guideway for drive-chain links, the shield d,for throwing out misplaced links, arranged substantially as described.

23. The combination, with the guideway D and shield 61,01": the hopper dand returnspo'ut (Z for the purpose described.

24. The combination, with the rails for delivering and spouts forreceiving the links, of the strikers K K and means for operating same,substantially as and for the purpose de- 7 scribed.

25. The combination, with the strikers K K, operating as described, thepivoted lever K and driving-shaft L, of the cam Z, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

26. In a drive-chain-link feeding-machine, the combination, with therakers and means for driving same, of a spring adapted to compensate forthe movement of said rakers when the latter are held stationary from anyaccidental cause, substantially in the manner described.

27. The combination, with the raker-barE and rakers connected theretoand with the rod N and means for working same, of the coiled spring 42,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

28. The combination, with the driving-shaft L, having a crank wheel ordisk thereon, of rod P, lever 0, having a pawl, shaft 1), having aratchet thereon, elevator 13, and shaft 19 all combined substantially asand for the purpose described.

29. The combination, with the raker-bar C carrying rakers and having thefork q, of the pivoted bridle q, rod Q, and lever O, operated asdescribed, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

.30. The combination, with the rails D D of the knife-edges (Z d, forthe purpose set forth.

31. The oil-pan F, in combination with the rails D D rakers E, andhollow raker-bar E, as described.

Oshawa, September 20, 1887.

JAS. D. STORIE.

Witnesses:

FRAS. GILBERT, STEPHEN L. JoNEs.

